THE PRAISED The Praised, The Loved, The Deplored, The Forgotten A View into the Wide History of Finnish Games Annakaisa Kultima & Jouni Peltokangas THE LOVED 2019 (digital) 2017 (print) ISBN 978-951-609-967-8 (digital) ISBN 978-952-03-1546-7 (Trepo) THE DEPLORED ISBN 978-951-609-873-2 (print) Tampereen museoiden julkaisuja, 145 THE FORGOTTEN ISSN 2342-2904 (digital) ISSN 1237-5276 (print) A VIEW INTO THE WIDE HISTORY Mediamuseo Rupriikin julkaisuja, 6 OF FINNISH GAMES ISSN 2670-1081 (digital) ISSN 1459-8329 (print) ANNAKAISA KULTIMA Publisher: Rupriikki Media Museum & JOUNI PELTOKANGAS ©Tampere Museums and the authors Translator: Ella Lopperi Photos: Saana Säilynoja (p. 20, 32, 36, 60), Annakaisa Kultima (p. 10, 39, 70, 120, 128, 182), Taru Muhonen (p. 24, 98), Mari Lind (p. 8), Sampo Savolainen (p. 160) and Janne Käpylehto (p. 140). Photo source (p. 17): Jukka Raunio, 1947. Vapriikki photo library. Photo source (p. 28): Andersin, Hans: NIM-peliä - pelaava kone. Abacus, 4/1967. Screen captures: Jouni Peltokangas, Joni Rokkanen, SPSN-group, Annakaisa Kultima, Amistech, Colossal Order, Facepalm Games, Frogmind, Mindfield Games and RedLynx. Graphic design: Annakaisa Kultima INDEX INTRO Punaisten ja valkoisten taistelu Suomessa 1918 …. 8 Rally Trophy …………………….………….…... 114 The history of Finnish games is diverse. lent a helping hand in putting everything Perspective: Kimmo Antila …………………...... 10 Stair Dismount / Porrasturvat …………….…..… 118 It consists not only of commercially together. The multiform exhibition Pesäpallo ………………………………………... 16 Perspective: Markku Reunanen ….………….….. 120 successful digital games or board reflected the different backgrounds of Pajatso …………………………………………... 20 Mikämikä-TV ………………………….…..…… 126 game classics that have knit together the members of the team – we ended up Afrikan tähti …………………………………..… 24 Perspective: Jaakko Kemppainen ………….…… 128 generations. Finnish game history opening a diverse view towards Finnish Nim ……………………………………………... 28 AirBuccaneers ……………….………….……..... 134 Kimble ………………………………………….. 32 Pathway to Glory ……………………….……….. 136 is multifaceted both in terms of games. Although the exhibition was Chesmac ………………………….………….….. 36 Dragonbane ………………….………….……...... 140 technologies and execution, as well as open only for a short time, the success Ässä-arpa ……………………………………...… 40 Angry Birds …………………………….……...... 144 content and impact. The reception of surpassed all expectations. The work Painterboy ………………………………….….… 44 Crayon Physics Deluxe ……………….…….....… 146 games varies: some are highly praised, conducted for the exhibition has been Sanxion ……………………………………….…. 46 Trials HD ……………………………….……...... 148 others become dearly loved, some are updated for this book, and it has served Uuno Turhapuro muuttaa maalle …………….….. 48 Trine ………………………………….…….....… 150 deplored and many will simply become as a basis for the Finnish Museum of Miekka ja Magia ………………….………….….. 52 Floorball League …………………….…….....… 154 forgotten. A game is a versatile format Games opened in 2016. Netherworld ……………………………….…..… 56 King of Opera ………………………….……..… 156 for a variety of works, by different Alias ……………………………………….…..… 60 Eclipse ………………………………….……..… 160 creators and for different types of Game history is common knowledge, BatMUD………………………..………….…..… 64 WildChords …………………………….……...… 162 players. Games are valuable fixtures but not always easy to access. It is Coloris …………………………………….…….. 66 Clash of Clans ………………………….……..… 166 Lohikäärmepuu …………………………….….… 69 Hill Climb Racing ……………………….…….... 168 of cultural histories around the globe. time to put more effort in recording Perspective: Andy Pilke …………………….…... 70 Legend of Grimrock …………………….……..... 170 Finnish games are in a precious role in the history for future generations Slicks ’n’ Slide ……………………………….….. 76 Badland ………………………………….……..... 174 the cultural heritage of Finland. as well as to trace the paths already Stardust ……………………………………….…. 78 The Swapper ………………….………….…….... 176 forgotten. Games cannot, however, be Inva-taxi ………………………………….….…… 82 Cities: Skylines ……………….………….…….... 180 This book offers only a small sample understood simply by reading – they Perspective: Åkesoft ……………………….….… 84 Perspective: Tuija Lindén …..………….……...… 182 of games. The idea for the book must be experienced. Hopefully this Alien Incident / Muukalaisten yö …………….….. 90 P.O.L.L.E.N…………………………….……...… 188 was conceived during an exhibition book will show a guiding light towards Wings …………………………………….…..….. 92 My Summer Car ……………………….……...… 190 organised in a local museum during the understanding games in a wider Eläin aktivisti …………………….………….…... 96 Nordic DiGRA 2012 conference, Tampere spectrum and bring everyone closer to Matopeli ………………………….………….…... 98 Drop Mania ……………………………….……. 102 Finland. Four researchers and roughly the actual experiences. Supreme Snowboarding ………….………….…. 104 20 students joined efforts to build an Areena 5 ………………………….………….…. 108 exhibition to introduce foreign visitors Tampere, Finland, 2/4/2017 Max Payne ………………………………….…... 112 to local games. Game developers, Annakaisa Kultima & journalists, historians and collectors Jouni Peltokangas 1918 Punaisten ja valkoisten taistelu Punaisten ja valkoisten taistelu Punaisten ja Suomessa 1918 (‘The Battle of the Suomessa 1918 Reds and the Whites in Finland 1918’) valkoisten came out in time for Christmas in 1918. It is reputedly the first board game to taistelu be commercially published after the Suomessa Finnish Declaration of Independence in December 1917. 1918 The game describes the events of the 1918 Finnish Civil War which ended earlier TYPE in 1918. The verse form rules are Board game rather difficult to understand, and the movements of the Whites are depicted PUBLISHER in much more heroic terms than those Juusela & Levänen of the Reds. Despite the slightly skewed worldview, the game can still be won by either party. The game follows real historical events very closely. The locations and borders are in the right places and the final battles have a clear significance. An interesting detail of the game is that the headquarters of the Whites is located in Germany, while the Reds reside in Russia. This probably owes to the fact that back in the day there were talks that Finland should have a king of German descent as a ruler. 9 Perspective: Kimmo Antila I worked as a project manager in Museum experience that someone familiar, whom Centre Vapriikki between 2006 and 2012 my grandparents had bought sweets and my job was to develop permanent from, was stabbed to death and thrown exhibitions, particularly ones related to off a bridge. It’s very likely that he did the history of Tampere. We bumped into not actually see it, but the story that a Punaisten ja valkoisten taistelu Suomessa familiar person experienced such a fate Kimmo Antila 1918 (‘The Battle of the Reds and the was strong. Whites in Finland 1918’) when we were talks about working on the Tampere 1918 exhibition For the Tampere 1918 exhibition, we had closely with various parties in 2007. I’ve people from the university doing back- played digital games to some extent in ground research, and then a core group the board game my youth, Donkey Kong type games and formulated the storytelling for the exhi- a variety of recess games, I mean. I’ve bition. At an early stage, the exhibition Punaisten ja never really been absorbed by playing, began to form into a kind of dramatic and I don’t use my time on gaming. My arc. It had a prologue leading into the children are now in their twenties, they subject matter, then the actual turbulence valkoisten taistelu have of course been playing more, and of events the exhibition would focus on, through them I’ve gained a whole new and finally an epilogue of the importance Suomessa 1918 perspective of gaming, different from and reminiscence of the war. Punaisten what I had back in the day. ja valkoisten taistelu Suomessa 1918, which we placed in the epilogue, was and the related I became interested in history at a young discovered by Robert Alftan, with whom age. It tells us where we are now and we had collaborated before. Robert is a museum work. what is going on, why we live in such long-time journalist and researcher, and a country, in Europe or in the world. he happened to have a summer house “ History is a social science. It is wonderful near Tampere. He was working on a and important that past phenomena are documentary about a Swedish volunteer in examined, as they help us explain the Tampere. We were, of course, able to pro- present day. My personal interest was vide Roope with something and Roope was kindled through my grandparents. My able to return the favour. In the winter of grandparents were born between 1909 2007-2008, he told us he had found this and 1910, so they had recollections of game, or game board, in a second-hand what happened in Tyrvää, one of the shop. We were naturally very interested arenas of war, in 1918. They had some in it, so Roope kindly donated the game horrifying stories, too. My grandfather board of Punaisten ja valkoisten taistelu recalled seeing the city burn down with Suomessa 1918 for the museum collection. his own eyes as a child. Recollections may We didn’t have any clue of what this game arise either from witnessing an event first- was, whether a number of these would hand, or being told about it. It may well be exist or whether we would find any infor- that he’d only heard stories of the incident. mation about it. We began to investigate, Nonetheless, it created a strong emotional and not long after